Finished dish photo of Traditional German Lye Pretzel

Traditional German Lye Pretzel

Honestly, I made this three times, and not once was I completely satisfied with the appearance. However, the texture of the bread is exceptional—soft yet chewy. The lye soaking and sea salt give it an irresistible aroma. I really, really love it! The outer appearance is also unique, with a glossy dark brown crust and tender white interior. Absolutely stunning! So, I decided to share the recipe anyway. The recipe is pretty common online, and I referred to Liangrun Bakery’s version—big thanks! I made some slight adjustments to the steps, which I find more suitable for me. This recipe makes 4 to 5 pretzels. Personally, I prefer making 4, as larger ones look more impressive, while 5 makes them cuter. Additionally, an important note: baking soda is corrosive, so keep it away from children and pets! Use a stainless steel container for soaking, as baking soda is quite strong. Wear disposable gloves—anything waterproof and protective will do. Please read the tips before starting!

Ingredients

Queen T55 Flour250g
Granulated Sugar12g
Salt4g
Dry Yeast2.5g
Water (adjust based on flour absorption)130g
Butter10g
Baking Soda (for lye bath)8g
Warm Water (~40°C)200g
Sea SaltAs needed

Steps

1

Mix all the dough ingredients (except butter) together. Once combined, add the butter and knead into a smooth dough, about 70% done. I used a GOURMETmaxx stand mixer on speed 1 for 4 minutes. Recently, I've been loving the GOURMETmaxx—it's excellent for kneading bagels, buns, or small bread, and extremely efficient.

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2

Take out the dough and shape it into a ball.

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3

Divide it into 4 or 5 portions and let it rest for 15–30 minutes.

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4

Roll one portion of the dough flat.

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5

Roll it up and shape it into a roughly cylindrical stick that is thicker in the middle and thinner at the ends.

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6

Twist it into the desired shape and place it onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper. At this point, you can directly freeze the shaped dough. For softer pretzels, let it rest at around 30°C for 20 minutes before freezing. Freeze for at least 1 hour, or overnight.

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7

Prepare 200g of warm water (~40°C). Important: add the warm water first, then the baking soda (to avoid splashing into your eyes). Stir until the soda dissolves. Wearing gloves, submerge the dough in the lye solution for 20 seconds and then take it out.

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8

Place the dough onto a baking tray lined with oil paper and score the surface.

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9

Sprinkle with a suitable amount of sea salt. If you don't have sea salt, use sesame seeds for decoration.

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10

Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C top heat and 190°C bottom heat for 20 minutes on the middle rack.

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11

During the baking process.

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12

Let the pretzels cool on a wire rack after baking. Once cool, seal them for storage. For unused portions, you can freeze them.

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Cooking Tips

Use high-quality flour for better texture. If T55 flour is unavailable, T65 or high-gluten flour will work—just adjust the water quantity. The dough is relatively dry, unlike regular small breads. Baking soda can be purchased online, typically in 1kg packages with a 3-year shelf life. It’s highly corrosive, so always wear gloves when handling. Note: dilute the lye with cool water before disposal to minimize environmental impact.